BP’s plans to sell $7.9B of deepwater oilfields in the Gulf of Mexico is paving the way for a...

BP’s plans to sell $7.9B of deepwater oilfields in the Gulf of Mexico is paving the way for a big influx of Asian-Pacific cash into offshore U.S. energy exploration. China's Sinopec (SNP) and Australia's BHP are among prime candidates as they have deeper pockets than many Western firms, analysts say, and could pre-empt the U.S. and European explorers that have long dominated Gulf drilling.